A small nonprofit clinic in Libby, Montana, that provided free asbestos-related disease screenings has closed after a lawsuit and faces permanent shutdown amid possible federal funding cuts.
Aaron Bolton reports for Montana Public Radio.
In short:
- The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) closed in May after a court allowed BNSF Railway to seize its property to collect $2.9 million from a whistleblower lawsuit.
- BNSF alleged the clinic defrauded the federal government by misdiagnosing patients to help them access Medicare; a jury found CARD falsified records for over 300 people.
- CARD relied on a federal grant that now risks elimination under Trump administration reviews, even as the federal government defends the clinic in court.
Key quote:
"There's going to probably be a lot of people just lost out there with no place to go."
— Jenan Swenson, Libby resident and CARD patient
Why this matters:
Libby’s asbestos disaster remains one of the worst environmental health tragedies in U.S. history. Vermiculite mining there exposed thousands to deadly asbestos fibers, contaminating homes, schools, and the surrounding landscape. Because asbestos-related diseases often take decades to emerge, many Libby residents still depend on long-term, specialized care. But access to proper screening is scarce, and diagnosis requires trained radiologists and rare expertise. The closure of CARD cuts off a lifeline for a community where an estimated one in ten residents already has asbestos-linked illness. Without accessible monitoring and treatment, more people may go undiagnosed until their conditions worsen.
Learn more: Clinic closure leaves Montana asbestos patients without care amid legal fight
